Poker is a game for everyone, yet it is estimated that women make up only 5% of the poker community. PokerStars remains committed to attracting more women to poker, so after a successful inaugural year, PokerStars is again joining forces with Poker Power to bring women worldwide the PokerStars x Poker Power Women’s Bootcamp.
Running from July 31 through September 28, the eight-week poker Bootcamp is designed to help novice women poker players, even those that have never held playing cards previously, to learn poker skills and strategies that are transferable to the real world.
Of course, the bootcamp has poker at its heart and some fantastic prizes waiting to be won, including an all-expenses paid trip to EPT Cyprus and the chance to win a package for the EPT Prague Main Event later this year.
The bootcamp has eight learning modules that focus on different areas of poker:
- Determination
- Discipline
- Ambitious
- Calculated
- Resilient
- Fearless
- Visionary
- Indomitable
July 22 is the closing date for Women’s Bootcamp applications
Those enrolling in the women’s bootcamp will be able to put what they learn into practice by playing inPokerStars Home Games and enjoying one-to-one sessions with members of the Team PokerStars stable.
The bootcamp leads to a special tournament where the ladies that reach the final table jet off on an all-expenses paid trip to EPT Cyprus in October. Once in sunny Cyprus, those finalists compete in the PokerStars x Poker Power Women’s Bootcamp Showdown, where a special package to EPT Prague awaits.
Last year, Canadian Mounted Police’s Roxanne Johnson, who hails from Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, won a $30,000 Platinum Pass that she used at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Johnson had always been interested in poker before enrolling in the bootcamp, and she came out of the other side as a fountain of poker knowledge.
The Muck: Why Don’t More Women Play Poker?
“It’s a game that everybody can play. You do have to study a bit. It’s not just luck. There’s a lot of math in it, and there’s a lot of other things. You do have to study, but it’s super fun to play poker. It’s something that keeps your mind going; there’s so many factors to it. It keeps you young.”
Johnson has since worked as a live reporter for PokerNews during the 2023 World Series of Poker, continuing her poker journey.
Rebecca McAdam Willetts, PokerStars’ Director of Partnerships, PR, and Consumer Engagement, is looking forward to seeing the next group of women players flourish at the tables.
“Working alongside our insights community, our ambassadors, and key women and groups across the poker world. We are confident we can effect change with the many initiatives we have upcoming. We want to encourage more women to take their seat at the table and, in doing so, learn new skills that can also benefit them elsewhere in life. We want to create an accessible, safe, and fun space of education and growth where those new to the game can be vulnerable and open. We’re now in our second year of proudly working with Poker Power, and for the return of our bootcamp, we’ve taken all the great elements from its debut last year and evolved it based on all the feedback and learnings along the way. We know there’s great hunger for this, and we can’t wait to meet our new recruits and see them learn and grow together.”
Erin Lydon, the President of Poker Power, added, “PokerStars shares our passion and commitment for the future of women in poker, so we are thrilled to be returning with our joint Bootcamp this year. We are expanding the scope of the bootcamp to reach more women, and we will not only teach them how to play No-Limit Texas Hold’em but also provide them with skills and strategies that can be applied to their daily lives. We’re excited to introduce more women to the benefits of learning to think, negotiate, and take risks like a winning poker player, and we can’t wait to help them develop game-changing poker skills during the BootCamp.”
Apply to Join the Women’s Bootcamp before July 22
Applications to the bootcamp are now open and remains so until the recruitment window closes on July 22. Applicants need to complete a simple form via Google Docs, with PokerStars and Poker Power contacting the successful women shortly after the application closing date.
The bootcamp is a fantastic initiative and one that could help produce the next female poker star. Invite your girlfriend, sisters, daughter, mother, aunt, or even grandmother to join the bootcamp, and show them how incredible the game of poker is.